Priority Areas for Wildlife Habitat and Movement, Sonoma County Vital Lands Initiative (weblink)

This layer was developed by Sonoma County Ag + Open Space as a component of the Vital Lands Initiative . For additional information please contact Alex Young, Conservation GIS Coordinator

PRIORITY AREAS FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT & MOVEMENT

The following criteria were used to develop the priority areas for wildlife habitat and movement layer:

• Landscape Connectivity (The Nature Conservancy)
• Within a Bay Area Critical Linkage

LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY (THE NATURE CONSERVANCY)

The Nature Conservancy landscape connectivity layer represents wall-to-wall regional habitat connectivity for plant and animal species whose movement is limited by developed and agricultural uses. The layer was developed using a modified version of Circuitscape, a connectivity analysis software package with relies on electronic circuit theory to predict patterns of movement among plant and animal populations in heterogeneous landscapes. To learn more about these data and to view the entire statewide dataset, please visit www.tinyurl.com/ca-connectivity

Landscape connectivity priorities were assigned as follows:

• Highest Priority = channelized connectivity (restricted to narrow corridor; often the last remaining option for connectivity between nature areas through a modified environments) and intensified connectivity (i.e. land use reduces options for movement between natural areas)

• Medium Priority = diffuse connectivity (highly permeable; many options for movement through natural lands with fewer fragmentation barriers)

• Low Priority = land use may limit movement (primarily agricultural land uses)

• Lowest Priority = developed/land use impedes movement

CRITICAL LINKAGES: BAY AREA AND BEYOND

Through the Critical Linkages: Bay Area and Beyond (2013) project, 14 landscape level connections were mapped within the Bay Area based on ecological integrity and habitat and movement requirements of 66 focal plant, insect, fish, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species. Areas within critical linkages were given high priority; areas not within critical linkages were given lower priority. The final priority wildlife habitat and movement layer is based on maximum priority values between the prioritized Conservation Lands Network Critical Linkage layer and a prioritized Landscape Connectivity layer.

DATA CITATION

Penrod, K., P. E. Garding, C. Paulman, P. Beier, S. Weiss, N. Schaefer, R. Branciforte and K. Gafney. 2013. Critical Linkages: Bay Area & Beyond. Produced by Science & Collaboration for Connected Wildlands, Fair Oaks, CA. www.scwildlands.org in collaboration with the Bay Area Open Space Council’s Conservation Lands Network. www.BayAreaLands.org.